DUSHANBE, December 14, 2009, Asia-Plus — Over the first eleven months of this year, monitoring by the National Association of Independent Mass Media of Tajikistan (Nansmit) of respect for the rights of journalists and the media has recorded 27 instances of a refusal to provide, or an attempt to limit access to information of significance for society, Abdfattoh Vohidov, the coordinator of Nansmit’s monitoring service, said in an interview with Asia-Plus.
According to him, the monitoring has revealed that journalists” access to information is subject to increasing limitations as any serious political events such as elections approach in Tajikistan.
“Access to socially significant information still remains one of the most topical problems in the country and limits on information access may take different forms,” said Vohidov, “For example, journalists are not allowed to attend news conferences under the various pretexts; thus, Jamshed Marouf, a reporter for the Khujand-based newspaper
Sughd
was not allowed to attend a news conference given by the Sughd governor just because he wore jeans. Ms. Madina Pochoyeva, a reporter for the Khujand-based newspaper
Sogdiyskaya Pravda
asked local official at a news conference about extortion in preschool institutions and after that, they called her to the kindergarten, which her son attends, and asked her not put such questions any more.”
Vohidov noted that many journalists complained that they could not get information from a source because his [source] direct boss did not allow him to communicate with journalists.
He added that low- and medium-level officials got in touch with journalists unwillingly. “Analysis of limits on information access has shown that when any acute problem arises, officials are trying to avoid meeting with journalists. For instance, by health minister’s order medical workers were not allowed to communicate with journalists over the death of Khurshed Bobokalonov, the head of the admission department at the Republican Oncology Center.”
The monitoring service coordinator noted that the banking system has always been taboo not only for journalists. Officials have usually justified that by saying that there are banking secrets. “In the meantime, journalists apply to banks only for information of significance for society,” said Vohidov, “However, banks refuse to provide even the socially significant information.”
